The present invention relates to vehicle mounted firearm storage devices and, in particular, to a horizontal mounting storage rack and modular cradles which are mountable to a vehicle ceiling, roll bar or vertical divider, such as found in law enforcement vehicles.
Varieties of firearm storage devices have been developed over the years for storing, displaying and containing firearms such as hand guns, rifles or shotguns. Many such assemblies have been developed to contain long barrelled firearms such as shotguns and rifles to a vehicle. Most typically, these assemblies vertically contain the firearm to a law enforcement vehicles. The firearm is restrained to either the vehicle dashboard or drive train tunnel, or an accessory equipment storage rack used to contain radios and the like. Examples of such equipment racks can be found at U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,550,001; 3,727,813; and 3,964,612. A traditional vertical dashboard mount and an inclined mount to the drive train tunnel of a law enforcement vehicle are disclosed at U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,499.
Varieties of sewn fabric assemblies also exist which serve as scabbards to support a firearm to a vehicle seat or to the back compartment wall of pickup trucks. Other supports are also available from Applicant which horizontally cradle a firearm, which mount directly to the ceiling or trunk lid of a vehicle and which provide a padlocked cable retention strap.
A deficiency of many known devices is an inability to lock the firearm to the support rack. A further shortcoming is an inability to secure the support rack to accessible portions of a broad range of vehicles in a fashion which prevents loosening of the support rack over time, due to vehicle vibrations and firearm weight. Additionally, most available support racks do not accommodate mountings to vehicle roll bars or vertical security screens or shields, which divide the driver and passenger compartments of law enforcement vehicles. Nor do available supports permit the user to tailor the number and positioning of support cradles to the application.
With the foregoing deficiencies and shortcomings in mind, the present invention provides an improved support rack which accommodates wide varieties of vehicle mountings and supported appliances.
It accordingly is a primary object of the present invention to provide a vehicle mounted firearm or accessory support which horizontally contains a firearm or other paraphernalia to the vehicle.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a firearm support which includes padded cradles and one or more restraint straps.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a firearm support which includes a locking restraint which latches manually or remotely.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a firearm support which mounts to a vehicle ceiling or roll bar.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a firearm support which mounts to a walled divider that separates passenger and driver compartments of a vehicle.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a firearm support which mounts to a telescoping support that, in turn, mounts to a vehicle ceiling.
It is a still further object to provide a support assembly wherein the cradles may be selectively arranged along the telescoping support.
Various of the foregoing objects, advantages and distinctions of the invention are obtained in one presently preferred construction which provides a framework that includes a longitudinal frame member and a pair of transverse, fixed position foam padded cradles which receive and support a long barrelled firearm. Strap fasteners are trained about each cradle to retain the firearm thereto.
A remote and/or manually actuated lock assembly mounts between the cradles to lock the firearm to the rack. The frame accommodates alternative extension pieces which are adaptable to mountings with a vertical security screen or compartment divider, with a telescoping mounting assembly which spans between side framing members and with a vehicle roll bar.
In an alternative construction, padded cradles are provided which include sleeves that mate to the telescoping support. The number, spacing and type of support cradles can be tailored to the vehicle and user.
Still other objects, advantages and distinctions of the invention are described in greater detail below. To the extent various modifications and improvements have been considered, they are described as appropriate. The invention should not be interpreted in strict limitation to the following description, but rather should be interpreted within the scope of the further appended claims.